Wednesday, March 24, 2010

What to do with all of those crocheted medallions you keep making for no reason but for how satisfying crocheting is? Make a cluster necklace.

First create the medallions.

Make them different sizes, use different stitches and make them up as you go. I tried to create ones without a lot of chainspaces so that the medallions, and therefore the necklace, would be structurally sound. Structurally speaking.

When you have an assortment of medallions, begin to lay them out as you would like them to be on your necklace. When you're satisfied with the design, turn each medallion over. Begin on one end of the cluster and using a needle and coordinating thread (the closer it matches the medallions the better) begin to stitch the medallions to each other at the points where they meet when laid out. You'll mostly be working on the back of the 'v' on the edge of each medallion.

When you've secured one spot weave your thread through the back of the medallion to the the next spot, making sure to not poke through to the front.

When you've finished, you may want to press your cluster. If you prefer to stiffen it, you could do so as well.

Attach three or so (depending on the shape of your cluster) medium to large jewelry jump rings to the points at the top of your cluster which will need to be secured to the chain. Then, string it onto a gold chain (yet another use for getting many necklaces from one chain).